DeKalb County residents will see no immediate property tax increase, but there will be fewer police officers and firefighters on the streets, a delay in court cases and job losses.
The County Commission voted 5-2 Tuesday to cut $33.6 million from the 2011 budget.
The cuts equal about 800 layoffs, but commissioners insist there is fat that can be trimmed before staff reductions.
Although commissioners rejected CEO Burrell Ellis’ proposal to raise taxes, they cautioned that a millage increase could be adopted in June after some cuts are made.
“I don’t think you want us to put more money in a bag with holes in it,” Commissioner Lee May said. “And the inefficiencies, the issues we have in this county represent a bag with holes in it. What we’re going to do is patch that bag up so when we put more money in it, it will not go by the wayside.”
The commission’s vote on the $530 million budget came after more than 60 employees and residents addressed the board on Tuesday. Hundreds of police officers and firefighters filled the room and dozens of recruits lined up outside the auditorium to protest the cuts.
“We will pay for these budget cuts,” Fire and Rescue Training Administrator Norma Campbell told commissioners. “I would prefer to pay for them with tax increases than by a catastrophic event to our loved ones.”
The budget includes an 8.9 percent decrease to all departments except the Police Department, the Fire and Rescue Department and the Sheriff's Office. The police and sheriff's budget were cut 4.46 percent each. The fire and rescue budgets were cut a combined 10 percent.
While commissioners say they don’t envision massive layoffs, Ellis said he sees no other way.
“These cuts will have the impact of shutting down the people’s government,” Ellis said.
One major cut is Public Safety Director William “Wiz” Miller's job, which commissioners called an “extra level of bureaucracy.” Miller, who makes $150,000 annually to oversee the police and fire chiefs, told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution he is still working despite the commission's vote.
Police Chief William O’Brien, who must cut $4.7 million from his budget, said he is looking at furlough days, grounding a police helicopter and eliminating the 80 recruits scheduled to graduate from the police academy this summer.
“If we cancel the academy in session and the June class, we’re talking 80 officers not on the street,” he said.
The budget also includes a privatized ambulance service, which means some firefighters/paramedics will lose their jobs. Interim Fire Chief Eddie O’Brien said it is still too early to determine the impact his $7.1 million cut will have on staffing.
Ruby Bozeman-Davis, founder of DeKalb’s Unhappy Taxpayers group, believes the county government can operate without cutting public safety and still freezing taxes.
“I’m a senior citizen. I didn’t get a raise on my Social Security,” she told commissioners. “How do you expect me to pay? We voted for you to do the right thing, and the right thing is not to raise taxes.”
Despite the across-the-board cuts, the commissioners decided to keep all recreation centers open and maintain the cooperative extension, which provides gardening classes -- a decision that drew some complaints.
“If Parks and Rec gets their budget cut and they can’t cut their grass, so be it,” Fire Capt. Brett Langston said. “You cut the police and fire and you endanger the lives of the citizens and the firefighters and police officers on the front line.”
Ellis said he was pleased to see the large turnout at Tuesday’s vote and insisted no employees would be punished for leaving their duties to attend the meeting.
“These officers are working," Ellis said. "They are excused to be here.”
Commissioners Jeff Rader and Kathie Gannon voted against the budget, saying some of the cuts were too deep.
The CEO has eight days to decide whether to veto the budget. But the commission only needs five votes to override the CEO’s veto.
May, chairman of the commission’s budget committee, said he was also confident the cuts can be made without disruptions to public safety.
“The county is not on fire,” he said. “Services will not be shut down with this budget we are approving.”
DeKalb’s 2011 budget by the numbers:
Total budget: $530 million
Total cuts: $33.6 million
Police cut: $4.7 million
Fire cut: $7.1 million
Sheriff’s cut: $3.5 million
District Attorney’s cut: $1.1 million
Library cut: $1.2 million
CEO cut: $155,800
Commission cut: $283,700
Source: DeKalb County Commission
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